Close to Home
by PeggsterLover
Summary: "It's not as if any mission's gonna be rougher than the last one, is it?" Ethan is forced to rethink Benji's comment when one of his team goes missing.
1. Chapter 1

_Well hello again! I've had this story in mind for a while now, but I was waiting until I had finished my Hot Fuzz story to start it. Didn't wanna have two multi-chapter stories on the go at once. My mind gets muddled way too easily ._

Anyway, the summary goes something like this: 'It's not as if any mission's gone be rougher than the last one, is it?' Ethan is forced to rethink Benji's comment when one of his team goes missing.

Hope you like it and nope, I don't own anything to do with the M:I franchise. Thought I wouldn't mind having something to do with Benji ;)

Ahem… Anyways… Enjoy! *insert nervous giggle here*

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

"Bye mum."

"Oh goodbye Benjamin." Benji couldn't pull away from his mother's grasp quick enough and she was soon suffocating him. He had given up on asking her to call him 'Benji' years ago.

_"You were Christened Benjamin and that is what I shall call you."_

"Yeah, mum, I love you too but I really have to go." He pulled back from the embrace and smiled at his mum before approaching the gate of his childhood home. He loved working in America and loved he friends he had made there, however he always cherished the trips he made to England.

He wandered along the street in the direction of his car, feet kicking the snow as he went. Nothing beat spending Christmas with his family, but now that the festivities were over, it was time to pack. His flight left at noon the following day so he wanted to get back to his flat to finalise everything.

Tossing his car keys in the air, he spent a brief moment watching the snowflakes fall around him. He pulled his trenchcoat tighter around his torso to keep out the chill and smiled. He was going to miss this when he went back. But he reminded himself of how much he loved his job and the people he worked with. Ever since joining the IMF as a technician, Benji had formed a strong friendship with Ethan. And after the mission involving Cobalt, Ethan had taken the younger man under his wing, watching him grow from rookie field agent to a fully-fledged member of the IMF team. Benji couldn't thank Ethan for all the things he had taught him; he was like the big brother he never had. Then there was Brandt. The first time they met, Benji had been pointing a gun at him in that train carriage. Since then, the pair had become really close friends; he would probably count William Brandt among his best friends. And finally, Jane Carter. She was beautiful, smart and funny. Benji wouldn't deny it, he had fallen victim to a minor crush when they first started working together, but he soon shook that and her maternal nature caused him to love her in a different way. He had her to thank for saving his life in Dubai; when Moreau had rendered him unconscious and was picking up his gun Jane had rushed through and stopped her. He hadn't witnessed the fight himself but from what he heard, she kicked some serious French arse (he later heard how she had kicked said French arse out of a 119th story window, but he ignored that fact. Accidents happen all the time, right?). His American family were as much a part of his life as his real one and he looked forward to getting back to them.

Approaching his car, Benji clicked the button and watched the orange lights flicker as the vehicle unlocked. The glow they displayed on the surrounding snow reminded him of his childhood days when he father used to say "Don't eat yellow snow."

Laughing at the though, he climbed into the car and turned the key in the ignition. But before he could do anything else, a voice from the back seat made him freeze.

"Don't say a word, or I'll blow your pretty little head off." He felt the cold barrel of a gun press up against his left temple and the voice continued. "Understand?" Benji managed a nod through the fear that caused him to hear his heart in his ears. "Good boy. Now drive."

_o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o  
><em>  
>Benji had never felt as afraid as he did at that moment. He followed the stranger's directions and didn't say anything – the gun pressing into his neck made sure of it. His knuckles were white due to the tight grip he held onto the steering wheel with and he didn't dare take his eyes off the road.<p>

What did he want with him? Was it a random abduction? Or were they after him in particular? Either way, he was sure he would find out soon. After what seemed like forever, he was told to pull over. He didn't recognise this part of London. The back door of the car opened and closed in a flash; Benji hoped that this was all over, however that soon changed. The driver's side door was ripped open and he felt himself dragged from the car.

"Get out!" the man yelled as he pulled Benji out and shoved him up against the car. The technician looked at his kidnappers, hoping to catch a glimpse of his face however saw that a dark mask covered it. Clearly he wasn't meant to know who this man was. Benji wasn't sure what was going to happen next but that thought was taken out of his mind – along with every other conscious thought – when the other man delivered a fast and powerful punch to his jaw. As Benji's unconscious form began to fall, the man caught him and flung him over his shoulder without any trouble. He made his was across to a door and soon both captor and captive disappeared into the night.

_o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o_

So, it's only a short chapter but I hope it's tantalised your taste buds… Ok, that was a weird phrase… But yeah, drop me a review and let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

_Okie dokie, here's the second chapter. For anyone who has followed any of my other stories, you will know me well enough by now to know that I have no will power. Haha!_

_Anyway, a few things about the story, now that we're getting into it._

_Firstly, seeing as we don't really know much about Benji's past etc, I may throw a few things in there of my own. Some personality traits and pieces of history (such as his fear of not having control of situations) come from my own traits and so on. Hope that's ok with you all :)_

_Secondly, the actor I am keeping in my mind as I write Benji's kidnapper is Nick Frost. I saw a picture on the internet from a photoshoot that Simon Pegg and Nick Frost did and in this photo, Nick has Simon tied up and is 'torturing' him. How that fits into a photoshoot is beyond me, but it made me think how interesting it would be to see them play opposing characters in a film. They always tend to play partners and best friends, but I think it would be pretty cool if one played a good guy while the other played the villain. So if you want, try to imagine Nick as the kidnapper :)_

_Anyway, enough of my babble, enjoy!_

_o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o  
><em>  
>"Ethan!" the agent turned to see Brandt approaching.<p>

"Morning Brandt, how was last night?" he offered with a wink. Brandt gave a small laugh.

"Last night was… good." He didn't go into details but he got the feeling Ethan understood. "So have you heard from Benji yet?"

"Not yet." Ethan responded. "He's due back later today, he said he's give me a call once he's settled.

_o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o  
><em>  
>Benji couldn't remember the last time his head throbbed this much – probably New Years day after the millennium. But this was a different type of pain; that guy had really clocked him one. As his senses returned to him, Benji noticed that something was resting over his eyes and thus preventing him from opening them. Great, the bastard had blindfolded him. Benji had always feared going blind – the thought of being unable to see his surroundings caused an increasing amount of worry in him. Being unable to see took away all control of the situation and that lack of control terrified him.<p>

He was sitting upright against some sort of pipe, around which his right arm had been pulled and his wrist tied to that of his left arm. Due to this, he was sitting on a slight angle and his right shoulder was leaning on what felt like a concrete wall. His knees were bent as they rested on the floor and his ankles were bound together just as tightly as his wrists. He could feel the cold and damp of the floor through his jeans. His mouth felt dry due to the piece of cloth that had been forced there and tied roughly at the back of his head. He could also feel dried blood stuck to his chin from the painful split in his lip caused by the blow he received earlier.

He listened to the wind outside and wondered what time it was. He figured that it was the following day by now and that meant he would have no doubt missed his flight back to the US. He remembered telling Ethan that he would call once he got back to his apartment.

_God, please let him realise something's up… _Benji thought to himself. He suddenly heard a voice. Starting off distant, it soon seemed to get closer. Benji tried to make out what it was saying.

"I see… package… curious… show you…"

Suddenly, he heard a door open and the voice was much clearer. It was definitely the man from earlier.

"Here's your boy now."

What was going on? Was there someone else there? There must have been. But he only heard one set of footsteps. Who was he talking to?

The footsteps got closer.

Benji's heart was racing. He wished the blindfold wasn't on him – he couldn't stand not seeing what was going on. He felt his body unconsciously push up against the wall in an attempt to get as far away from the stranger as possible. He knew it was completely pointless, but he couldn't stop himself. The man then spoke again.

"Watch."

Who was he telling to watch? A more concerning question for Benji was _what _he was telling them to watch. He could honestly say that this was the single most terrifying moment of his life. The fact that he was tied up in a strange place being held against his will by a man wielding a gun and God knows what else scared him enough. But the fact that he was blindfolded and unable to see what the man was about to do to him was the cherry on top of the very rotten cake of fear.

He sensed that the man was right in front of him now. An eerie silence fell over the room as Benji waited for whatever was going to happen next.

Suddenly he felt an awful, sharp pain on his left cheek.

Benji couldn't prevent the scream that escaped his lips.

_o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o_

_So there we have it. I'm so mean to Benji… :( lol!  
>Much love x<em>


	3. Chapter 3

_Gah! Goodbye will power… But this is as far in advance as I'd written, so I think there will be more of a gap between this chapter and the next._

_Hope it's up to expectations – Ethan, Brandt and Jane make an appearance in this chapter and we also find out what Benji's kidnapper was talking about in the previous chapter._

_o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o  
><em>  
><em><strong>24 hours later<strong>_

Ethan climbed out of his car and made his way to the building. He was a little confused as to why Benji hadn't called last night, however he assumed his friend was too jet lagged. He met up with Jane at the entrance and as the pair walked through the doors, they heard a shout. Turning, they saw Brandt jogging towards them.

"What's up, Brandt?"

"You speak to Benji last night?"

"No, he didn't call. Must have been getting over the flight, why? What's wrong?"

"I'm not really sure."

"I dunno about Ethan, but you've lost me." Jane crossed her arms and waited for Brandt to continue.

"Well I sent him a message last night, you know, to see how his trip was."

"And? Did he reply?" Ethan asked.

"Well, yeah, but that's the strange thing."

"Oh, Benji replying to a text message, how strange." Jane added sarcastically as Brandt pulled his phone from his pocket. He glared at her before handing his phone to Ethan.

"Read that."

Ethan took the phone from Brandt's hand and read the text.

_"Wait and see."_

"Wait and see?" Ethan tilted his head to the side.

"I know, that sound like Benji to you?" Brandt looked between Jane, who shrugged, and Ethan who handed the phone back to him.

"I dunno, could have replied to the wrong person."

"Yeah, maybe."

"Or maybe he's got a holiday video he wants to show us when he gets here." Jane offered. She knew how close Brandt and Benji had become and knew that he wanted to look out for the younger agent. She patted him on the back before the trio made their way through the building.

"Agent Hunt!" a voice shouted from behind them. It was the new trainee technician.

"Hey Sidney, what is it?"

"This arrived for you this morning." It was a package and sure enough, it was addressed to him. Turning the envelope over, they noticed that it had been sent from England.

"Thanks." The three continued into a nearby office and Jane grinned.

"See? What I tell you? This is probably what Benji meant in his text." The smile soon disappeared from her face when she saw what Ethan had pulled out of the envelope.

"What the hell is that?" Brandt asked, staring at the small vile of red liquid.

"Ok, that looks a bit too much like blood for my liking." Jane blindly searched for a glove as she continued to stare at the vile, unable to look away. Her hand soon grabbed one off the desk and she grabbed the item from Ethan's hand. "I'll take this to the lab, just to be sure." She disappeared out of the room, leaving Ethan and Brandt to examine the remaining contents of the package.

The next item to come out of the envelope was a letter and finally a CD rom. Unfolding the piece of paper, Ethan read the note, worried at the thought of what it would say.

_Ethan Hunt._

_You're probably off running tests on that vile, but I think you'll figure out what the contents are much quicker if you watch the disc._

Ethan stared at the disc that lay on the desk in front of him. He wasn't sure he wanted to see what was on it, however if it helped them figure out what was going on, he knew he had to.

"I've sent the vile off to-" Jane began as she re-entered the room, but she stopped when she saw Brandt grabbing a laptop and Ethan placing the disc into the drive. "What are you doing?" Brandt handed her the letter and she read the words as the disc loaded. "What the…"

"Hello Ethan." An English accent drifted from the laptops speakers. "I see you have received my package. You're probably curious as to what that little vile was all about. Well, watch closely and I'll show you." They watched as the man, wearing a mask, wandered through a door and they couldn't believe their eyes when they saw what was behind it. "Here's your boy now."

There, sitting tied up, blindfolded and gagged, was Benji. He looked terrified. The man got closer, bringing the camera up to their friend. They saw some blood on his lower lip and could tell that he was shaking uncontrollably – probably due to a mixture of cold and fear.

"Watch."

The group could not help but obey, unable to take their eyes off Benji, who was trying to get away from the man. They could do nothing but 'watch' as Benji's kidnapper brought a knife up to his face. They stood frozen as they saw the blade sink into Benji's cheek and heard the scream of pain escape the young man's lips. Jane looked away, unable to watch her friend go through that. Ethan dropped his head into his hands and Brandt's eyes remained fixed on the tear that was rolling down Benji's cheek and the blood that was now pouring from the wound into the small glass vile. The man stepped away and with one last view of Benji, his voice spoke again.

"There's your answer."

Then, the picture disappeared, along with Benji.

_o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o  
><em>  
><em>There we have it!<em>


	4. Chapter 4

_Thanks for all the lovely reviews – you all are so wonderful! Hope this chapter is up to expectations and that I have kept them all in character well enough for you!_

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

The three agents couldn't believe what they had just witnessed. Ethan remained in his seat, unable to find words after the video ended. Jane had found a nearby chair when her legs had given out on her. Brandt stood with his hand on the wall, controlling his breathing and wondering who the hell would want to hurt Benji. Sure, he could get on Brandt's nerves every now and then, but he was also one of the nicest guys he knew.

He got the feeling, though, that this wasn't something against Benji himself. If it had been, why send the disc? It seemed like someone had a grudge against Ethan and, for whatever reason, Benji had got caught in the crossfire. He knew he shouldn't blame Ethan for what was happening, but he could feel anger rising up inside him. No agent had spoken since the screen had gone black; no one could. What could you say after watching something like that? Brandt knew something had to be said, but Jane beat him to it.

"So what happens now? Who the hell was that? And why does he have Benji?" she, like the others, cared for Benji and hated to see him hurt. She had helped him after Moreau tried to kill him and he had been there for her after she had been shot. They looked out for each other because that's what friends do. But now she felt helpless, unable to do anything to comfort Benji as he sat in that cold, damp room, no doubt terrified.

"I don't know." Came Ethan's response. Brandt turned to look at him and was unable to fight his anger.

"You don't know?" he shot his gaze between the pair, skin burning with a mixture of fury and anguish.

"No, Brandt, I don't know." Ethan looked up at him, not knowing how to react to this sudden burst of rage.

"Oh, so the guy who knows exactly what to do during a plot to evoke global nuclear war, the guy who knows which way to turn for help in a foreign country, doesn't know what to do when one of his own is in danger? Huh?" Ethan looked at the floor, unable to face Brandt. Deep down, he knew the younger agent was right; he _had _been in a situation like this before and had managed to pull through that time, why couldn't he do the same now? Benji's life was in danger and he knew it was something to do with him. Why else would the disc and letter have been sent to him? He knew of no one who would hurt Benji. An enemy of his was an enemy of the entire IMF; he wasn't the type to have foes. This was personal. Ethan thought and thought until his head began to hurt, but he couldn't think straight. This man was English; London in particular. The only English person he'd known or worked with in recent years was Benji. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

He was going to have to think further back.

He tried to block out the discussion Jane and Brandt were having and searched his memories for anyone he could remember that would possibly have reason to want revenge. He thought back to his earlier years with IMF, maybe he had met or worked with someone back then.

And then it hit him.

"I've got it."

_o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o  
><em>  
>Benji opened his eyes and found that he could now see – his blindfold had been removed.<p>

_Thank God… _he looked around, noticing that it was dark again. He remembered the horrible pain in his cheek, which was still stinging, and figured he must have passed out from a combination of the pain and exhaustion not long after. His legs and arms had virtually gone completely numb and his head was spinning. His cheek felt stiff from where the blood had dried on it; he knew he was going to need stitches. The thought made him shudder. He'd needed stitches once before, when he was a child. He and one of his best friends, Nicholas, had been playing football in the street with some older boys when a tackle went wrong and Benji's forehead had somehow wound up being introduced to a large, green metal box. It took several stitches and an ice cream before he had managed to calm down and he now had the scar – which ran in a straight line above his right eye – to show for it. He guessed he'd have another corker to show off once this ordeal was over. If it ever _was_over.

He heard footsteps approaching and promptly snapped out of his memory as the door in front of him opened. Standing before him was a rather large man, probably a bit shorter than himself, with brown hair that reached his shoulders and a small amount of stubble growing on his chin. The fact that he was no longer wearing the dark mask from earlier caused Benji to worry that the ordeal would end in a different way to which he hoped. If he was showing his face, the man obviously didn't plan on letting Benji go.

"Nice of you to join me." The man, who spoke with a cockney accent, proceeded to enter the room and crouch down in front of Benji. "And here I was thinking you were going to sleep through all the fun stuff."

_o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o  
><em>

_Hope you don't mind me adding the little bit of background to Benji there. I kept the fact that Simon Pegg does have a scar there, however the event causing the scar is taken from my own past - in England, they often have these tall, green metal boxes in the street (not sure what purpose they serve though lol) and once, when I was a child I managed to hit my forehead on one of them. I'm a bit of a clutz like that haha_.


	5. Chapter 5

_So here's the next chapter. In this one, we find out who may be the kidnapper and we see a little bit more Benji whump. I feel so evil for doing this to my boy, I just wanna hug Benji. LOL_

_o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o  
><em>  
>"You've got it?" Jane blinked a few times while trying to register what Ethan meant.<p>

"I know who has Benji."

"Care to share with the class?" Brandt folded his arms, resulting in a glare from Ethan.

"Back when I was still a rookie, I was working a mission with a fellow agent named Michael Watson. He was from London and had come to America to join IMF. We were attempting to infiltrate a building just out of Berlin when we got made. We were chased through the corridors but just before we could make it out, an explosive was detonated and the next thing I knew, I was in the hospital. They told me that just before the blast, Michael had been shot. I searched the entire hospital for him, but I couldn't find him; they told me he was dead. I later learned that he had gone rogue and was working for the enemy; he revealed our position to his people so he had been killed by our own."

"And you think that it's him?" Brandt asked, curious as to how a dead rouge agent could have kidnapped Benji.

"I'm not one hundred percent sure, but he's the only person I can think of."

"So you think that he's not really dead and for some reason wants revenge on you?" Jane couldn't believe this was actually happening.

"But why would they tell you he was dead when he wasn't?"

"I don't know, but we need to get Benji back. This guy is ruthless and unless we stop him soon, I fear we may lose another agent." It killed him to say it, but he had to be brutally honest with them. He knew what Michael was capable of and that Benji was in serious danger. He took in a deep breath and began to make his way into the corridor.

"Great, I always wanted to go to England..." Brandt grabbed his jacket and followed the others out of the room. He could only pray that they would get there in time.

_o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o  
><em>  
>Benji sat watching his captor, mesmerised by the blade he played with in his hands. What had he meant by 'fun stuff'? He guessed that he wasn't referring to playing monopoly. He decided to try and figure out what this guy wanted with him. Thinking back to when he had first woken up, he remembered the man talking to someone, but he was sure there was no one else in the room. He had also said "here's your boy now" which indicated that he was talking to someone who knew Benji. Had he been on the phone to someone, maybe? Then again, he later told them to 'watch' so maybe he had been recording him. Just after saying that, he had sliced Benji's cheek and seemed to have collected some of his blood in something. Then he realised what he had been doing. A video plus some of his blood. Could it have been like a ransom note? If that were the case, maybe… just maybe…<p>

"Oh, Agent Hunt knows you're here." The man spoke as if he'd read Benji's thoughts. "After all, he _is _the reason you're here."

So that was it. This guy had something against Ethan and was doing this as some sort of vengeance. But why him? Maybe he had just been the easiest for him to get access to. Maybe it could have been because he was still a rookie in the field; he would therefore be easier to ambush. He had hoped that he'd learnt from the incident with Moreau, but obviously not. However, he had been on vacation in England – one wouldn't usually expect for something like that to happen. Regardless of why he chose Benji, he still had chosen him. Despite the feeling on terror that hadn't left him since he'd first opened his eyes, part of him felt relieved that it had been him over Jane or Brandt; he couldn't bear to watch them go through something like this.

Jane and Brandt.

He'd almost forgotten about them. Would they have seen the video too? He could picture their reactions in his mind. He hoped Jane hadn't cried – he hated seeing her cry. Watching her lean over Hanaway's lifeless body, tears rolling off her face and landing on his closed eyes, had made him want to pull her into his arms and reassure her that everything would be ok. He wasn't sure how Brandt would have reacted, exactly, however he figured he wouldn't have been too pleased. The pair watched out for each other – like when Benji had saved Brandt's life in Mumbai.

Then again, what if they didn't care?

_No, Benji. Don't think like that. _He mentally scolded himself for thinking such things. They _were _going to rescue him. It was just a matter of time.

Benji had been so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he hadn't noticed that the man had altered his grip on the knife and by the time he realised, it was too late. He felt the blade sink into the flesh of his left thigh and screamed as black spots appeared in front of his eyes. Through his rapidly blurring vision, he saw the man smirk evilly before removing the blade in one swift movement and standing up to exit the room. Once the door had shut and he was alone, he blinked rapidly to clear his sight and looked down at the wound. His jeans were turning a deep shade of red as blood poured from the hole in his leg.

_This isn't getting better. _He thought, fighting away unconsciousness. _Please hurry, guys…_

_o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o  
><em>  
><em>Poor Benji :( Well, hope it was up to expectations.<em>


	6. Chapter 6

_Sorry this seems to be another short chapter :/ hope it's up to expectations though._

_o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o  
><em>  
>Thanks to an IMF private jet, the trio arrived in London quickly and they soon found a place to stay. Walking into the hotel room in the group reminded Brandt a bit of when the team had arrived at the Burj Khalifa however this time they were missing one crucial team member. It was going to be hard to do anything technical related without Benji there. He was the computer whiz, not Brandt, but they had to make do with what skills he had. As they set up their gear, Ethan turned his phone on and was surprised to find a voicemail from an unknown number. He brought the phone to his ear and couldn't believe what began to play.<p>

_o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o  
><em>  
><em><strong>Earlier<br>**_  
>Despite the pain radiating from his injured leg and the unconsciousness that was threatening to take hold, Benji was determined to find a way out of this situation. With some pain and difficulty, he had managed to bring his feet close enough to his tied wrists and pull apart the ropes surrounding them, but even though his legs were now freed, he was still trapped. He looked around for anything remotely sharp that he could cut himself loose on but it was to no avail. Instead, he began to pull against the pipe with the hopes that the use of force could dislodge it slightly. Yanking repeatedly caused his shoulders to ache terribly and Benji began to fear he might dislocate one of them, but if it got him free, it was a sacrifice he was willing to make. After several tries, he felt the pipe a few feet above his head begin to move. Giving another tug, he felt it move again. Now that he was sure there was something loose, he slowly began to rise to his feet. Putting as much of his weight on his right leg, he located the slack spot of pipe and continued to pull. Every now and again, he would stumble onto his injured leg, causing pain to tear through his body like fire, but he only took a few seconds to regain his composure before continuing his efforts.<p>

It took some time, but after what seemed like his millionth try, Benji felt the pipe move significantly and with only one more triumphant pull, the section of pipe dislodged completely and clattered onto the ground. Relief only lasted a brief moment, as he realised just how loud the pipe had been as it hit the concrete floor. It wouldn't be long before his captor came barging into the room and he knew that if he got caught now, he probably wouldn't see another day. Hands still bound behind his back, Benji ran to the wall opposite where he had been and practically stuck himself to wall next to the door. He could hear footsteps getting closer and knew that he had to act fast. When the door opened and the man walked in, Benji held his breath and prepared for the attack.

Throwing himself at the man from behind, he caught his kidnapper completely off guard, head-butting him hard. The man stumbled forward and Benji delivered a sharp kick to his face, leaving the man unconscious while giving him enough time to run out of the room and close the door behind him.

Now that he was out, he wasn't really sure what to do. He'd made a perfectly executable plan to get out of the room, but he hadn't really thought past there. Stumbling on his damaged leg, he limped through the building in an effort to get out. His breathing was shallow and raspy; he still had the gag in his mouth. He was beginning to shake again, partially due to terror of the events that had just unfolded, but also due to the fact that he had a severe stab wound that needed tending to quickly. He made his way through a one door and had to struggle to stay upright, just managing to avoid collapsing in a heap. Looking in front of him, he saw that he was now in a room set out like an office. There was a table and chair, with papers and other items on it. Approaching the table, he noticed that the blade was lying on it – he could tell it was the same one, as it was covered in blood. Turning on the spot, he fumbled with his hands until he had a good enough grip on the handle to begin cutting through his bonds. He felt the blade slice through the palm of his hand, but he ignored the pain and shortly afterwards, the ropes fell to the ground. Rubbing his wrists gently, he pulled the gag down around his neck and removed his overshirt, leaving him in just his thin t-shirt. Using the knife, he cut a long piece of the checked material and after placing the rest of the shirt in his mouth in an attempt to stifle any potential scream, he wrapped the material around his thigh. With a quick tug, he had secured the makeshift bandage and spat out the shirt, wiping away the tear that had fallen.

Now that he was untied and his wound was temporarily tended to, he began to search the desk for anything that could aid his escape. Glancing over the papers, he saw things with his name on. Photographs of his flat and his mother's house. This man must have been planning this for some time; the thought sent a chill down Benji's spine. Moving one piece of paper, he found a mobile phone. He quickly grabbed it and was relieved to see that it had battery left so his fingers moved in a frenzy across the buttons and dialled Ethan's number.

It rang out.

_Shit… _Benji thought as he heard Ethan's voicemail recording begin. After the tone, he began to speak.

"Ethan, it's Benji. Look, I don't know where I am exactly, but I'm still in England. Some guy had me locked in a room but I managed to knock him out and shut him in there. Only problem is, I'm pretty certain it isn't gonna hold him long." he looked around to make sure he was still alone. "I'm gonna try to make a break for it, I'll call again once I'm clear. Ethan, I'm sor-mmmph…" Benji was cut off when a hand clamped down over his mouth and he felt a sharp prick in his neck. He struggled for a brief moment before falling victim to the enticing pull of unconsciousness.

The phone dropped from his limp hand and the call ended.

_o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o  
><em>  
><em>Poor Benji! <em>


	7. Chapter 7

_Ok, so even more Benji whump in this chapter along with heroic!Brandt :)  
>Hope it's up to expectations.<em>

_o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o  
><em>  
>"Ethan?" Brandt glanced up from the laptop, confused by the unnamed emotion that ran across the man's face.<p>

"What is it?" Jane had also noticed his change in expression and was approaching him. Without a word, he pulled the phone away from his ear and hit the speaker button.

_"Ethan, it's Benji."_

Brandt's eyes lit up slightly at the sound of their friend's voice.

_"Look, I don't know where I am exactly, but I'm still in England. Some guy had me locked in a room but I managed to knock him out and shut him in there. Only problem is, I'm pretty certain it isn't gonna hold him long. I'm gonna try to make a break for it, I'll call again once I'm clear. Ethan, I'm sor-" _

Benji's voice was cut short and there was sounds of a struggle before the line went dead. Jane's hand flew to her mouth and Ethan dropped his arm to his side. Brandt let his head drop into his hands, not knowing what to make of the situation now. Was that it? Was it over? Had Michael killed Benji? Or did they still have time to save him?

"We can't give up." Ethan heard Brandt say, watching as he lifted his head from his hands. "Not now."

"Brandt, we don't even know if Benji's sti-" Jane was cut off by Brandt throwing something across the room; probably a pen.

"I don't care!" he rose to his feet in one swift movement and looked between the other two agents. "Even if it's…" he paused and took a deep breath before continuing. "A body we're bringing back, we're still gonna get Benji. I'm not leaving him there. Besides, we can't be sure that he's gone. Maybe Michael just…"

"Just what, Brandt?" Ethan took slow steps towards him. "Look, I want to get Benji back as much as you do, he's one of my closest friends, but we can't go around with false hope. We need to be prepared." He placed a hand on Brandt's shoulder and sighed. Behind him, he heard Jane let out a breath and he could have sworn that there was a sob accompanying it. The trio stood in silence for a few moments, taking in the reality of the situation they faced, before Brandt once again broke it.

"Give me the phone." He held his hand out to Ethan.

"What?"

"Give me the damn phone." Ethan handed it over and watched as Brandt threw himself back into his seat.

"Brandt, what are you doing?" he approached the younger agent, who was now frantically typing on the laptop and glancing at the phone.

"The number Benji called from, it wasn't withheld, therefore…"

"You really think Michael will have kept the phone? If he knows Benji called us on it then he would have got rid of it straight away."

"I know, but I remember Benji telling me something. He said that the created a program on here that can track a number's location from when it was used, even if it's been disposed of since then."

"Benji created it?" Ethan sounded shocked, causing Brandt to finally tear his gaze from the screen to his face.

"Yeah, you sound surprised that he could do something like that." He stated. "There's a reason why he's so good at being both a technician and a field agent." He turned back to the computer and continued to work. "If I can get the number into this program, maybe we might be able to track where Benji called from."

Despite trying to maintain realistic thoughts, watching Brandt work on it gave Ethan the slightest bit of hope.

_o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o  
><em>  
>Due to the drug in his system, Benji spent the next few hours drifting in and out of consciousness, unable to fully comprehend what was going on around him.<p>

His eyes opened once and he was lying on the floor, still untied. He tried to move but before he could, his eyes closed again.

The next time he opened them, he was able to lift his head slightly and saw that the man had removed the material from his leg and it was now freely pouring blood across his jeans again. With a thud, his head dropped to the floor.

The third time, he woke with a sense of nausea. This was probably because, from what he could tell, he was currently lying over the top of the man's shoulder. His hands were once again bound behind his back and he was being carried but he couldn't tell where they were going. The rhythmic movement of the man's walking caused Benji to give in once more and he drifted away.

The next time he opened his eyes, however, he was a bit more aware. After a few seconds, he realised that he was lying in the boot of a car, the lid of which was still open. Arms uncomfortably pulled behind his back, the awful tasting gag forced back in his mouth, his leg officially having gone numb due to the blood loss; he was pretty sure this was it. He saw the man approaching, blade in hand again.

"That was a very stupid thing to do, Agent Dunn." He mocked, his brown eyes shining with pure malice. "It's a shame, really, I was kind of hoping that Ethan would get to watch you die before I kill him, but I guess this will have to do."

Benji watched him raise the knife and let out a yell. Before he knew it, the blade sunk into the flesh of his left shoulder; he figured the man had been aiming for his heart, but fortunately, the word being used loosely, due to the way Benji was lying, he had missed. Leaving the blade in this time, the man proceeded to give a snide grin and reached up to close the boot. As the light was shut out, Benji's eyes closed again.

His last thoughts made him wonder would that be the last time they did so.

_o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o  
><em> 


	8. Chapter 8

_Sorry this one's only short… Hope that it's worth it though :)_

_o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o  
><em>  
>Jane drove the van as fast as she could. It had taken Brandt a while to figure out Benji's program, however they managed to track the phone's last location to a warehouse just outside of London. She glanced at Brandt, who was sitting in the passenger seat, eyes glued in front of him as they drove to their location. Ethan, sitting in the back, held onto the GPS, shouting out directions which Jane promptly followed.<p>

"Left! This is it!" Jane pulled into the entrance of a large gravelled area and saw that they had just blocked the exit of another car. Ethan recognised the driver immediately. "Oh my God…"

"What is it?"

"It's Michael." At those words, Brandt jumped from the vehicle and ran towards Michael, who had also exited his car. He tackled the man to the ground, but was rewarded with a punch to the face. Bringing his hand to his now bleeding nose, he could do nothing as Michael scrambled to his feet and made his way back to the warehouse.

"We got him! You look for Benji!" Ethan shouted as he and Jane ran after Michael, guns at the ready. Brandt stumbled back up and began to run after them.

_Hold on, Benji, I'm coming. _He sprinted through the entrance of the warehouse, pulling out his gun along the way, mentally begging Benji to still be alive. Running through the corridors, he searched room after room but there was no sign of his friend. Opening one door, he saw a desk covered in papers, some of which were strewn across the floor. He backed out and turned another corner, seeing an open door at the end. Briskly jogging towards the door, he prepared his gun and entered the room.

The room was only small, wall to wall must have only been about two meters either way. On the opposite side, there was a long pipe, part of which had been removed and was now lying on the floor. When Brandt brought his eyes to the dislodged piece of pipe, he saw a piece of rope and something else that made him feel sick to the stomach. There was blood; lots of blood. He fought his gag reflex, praying that the blood didn't belong to Benji, but his brain knew that it more than likely did.

"Guys, I can't find him. I've found where Michael kept him, though. There's… there's blood." He spoke into his microphone, controlling his breathing as he did.

Ethan heard Brandt's voice and his heart started racing. He glanced at Jane who was blinking back tears as they continued to search for Michael. Turning a corner, Ethan stepped out in front of Jane, who followed closely behind. She suddenly felt a hand grab her shoulder, however she was too quick, and Michael was soon flipped over her shoulder and landed on the hard concrete.

"I'll give you that one, Agent." He wheezed, trying to get his breath back. "You're good."

Ethan and Jane both pointed their guns at him where he lay on the floor.

"Where is he?" Ethan asked, anger in his voice that Jane couldn't recall hearing before. Not even in the safe house in Dubai, when he had been yelling at Brandt. "Where. Is. He?"

"You'll never find him." Michael sniggered, but was quickly silenced by a bullet tearing through his shoulder. Ethan glanced at Jane as she realigned her aim after taking the shot. He couldn't blame her for doing it.

"Answer his question." She demanded. She watched as his smile returned, blood covering his teeth. "Tell us now!" as she yelled, her finger tugged on the trigger again, dispensing a bullet into his other shoulder.

"He's not here…" Michael gave a laugh, which turned into a cough. Ethan watched him squirm on the floor in front of him and suddenly had a thought.

"Brandt!" he yelled.

"What?"

"The car!" Ethan looked at Jane, who furrowed her brow. When he heard Brandt acknowledge, he began to speak. "When we arrived, he was trying to drive away."

Brandt ran back through the building the way he came, slipping as he took a corner. He landed painfully on his knee, but he ignored it, continuing to run. When he reached the exit, he sprinted across to the car, attempting to open the boot. It wouldn't budge.

"Benji! Benji, can you hear me?" he yelled and banged on the boot, hoping that his friend was inside. "I'm here, I'm gonna get you out!" he ran to the driver's side door and found that it was locked.

_Damn these cars with automatic locking! _He took off his jacket and wrapped it around his hand before giving the window a forceful punch, causing it to shatter. He reached down and unlocked the door, quickly fumbling to find the button to open the boot. After a few seconds, he grasped it and pulled, hearing the 'pop' almost instantly. Darting back to the rear of the vehicle, he yanked up the boot and saw looked inside.

_Oh my God, no… _

_o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o  
><em>  
><em>Dun dun duuuuuuuuuun! :P<em>


	9. Chapter 9

_Continuing from where we left off in the last chapter…_

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Brandt saw Benji lying in the boot, tied up, gagged and not moving. The worst part was, he had a knife sticking out of his chest. Fighting back tears, he reached down and scooped the younger man into his arms, collapsing onto the gravel as he tried to remove the gag. He saw the gash on Benji's cheek, the same one they had watched be inflicted, and the cut on his lip. Other than the blatant stab wound in his shoulder, Brandt also noticed the hole in his jeans, surrounded by a deep red stain. He figured that was where the blood in the room had been from. As he looked at Benji's closed eyes, he saw a few drops of rain land on them. Leaning over his friend to protect him from the rain, he placed a hand to his neck. He sighed slightly when he felt drumming against his fingers.

"Benji?" he brought his hand to his uninjured cheek. "Benji? Come on, man, wake up. Please." After a few seconds, he saw those blue eyes begin to open. "That's it, Benji. That's it, you're doing great."

"Br… Brandt?" Benji blinked a few times, unable to tell if he was hallucinating or not.

"That's right, Benji. I got ya." He smiled when Benji nodded weakly in acknowledgement however his relief was wiped out when he saw his friend's eyes begin to close again. "No, Benji, you gotta stay awake, buddy. Stay with me. Don't fall asleep, ok?"

"Wanna… Tired…" Benji tried to speak, but it came out as a whisper.

"I know you are, but you just need to stay awake a little bit longer ok?" Brandt tapped his hand on Benji's cheek in an attempt to keep him conscious, but it was a losing battle. "Come on, Benji, don't leave me, ok? Who's gonna save my ass if you're not around? Huh?"

Benji smiled softly and took in a weak breath. "Touché…" he began to cough and Brandt's stomach flipped when he saw blood begin to trail from the corner of Benji's mouth. It was quickly washed away by the falling rain, however was soon replaced with more.

Inside, Jane and Ethan listened to Brandt's begs, pain beating at their hearts as they heard their friend fighting for his life.

"Go." Ethan ordered Jane. "Go help Benji." She was reluctant but soon nodded, making her way out of the room. She sprinted through the building and soon reached the door. The sight she saw in front of her brought more tears to her eyes, but they were shortly mixed with the rain that fell. She ran over to Brandt, who was cradling Benji in his arms.

"Benji, we're gonna get you out of here ok? You just gotta stay awake." She heard Brandt speaking as she got closer. As she took in Benji's appearance, she fell to her knees. "Jane, cut him loose." Brandt told her. She immediately grabbed a piece of glass from the broken window and freed Benji's wrists. Grabbing his hand, she felt the palm of it was sticky and turning it over, she saw the long gash running from one side to the other. Her eyes were so fixated by the injury that it took Brandt's frantic voice to bring her out of her trance. "No, no, no, no, no, no… Benji, stay with me. Benji!" Jane looked up to Benji's face to see his eyes had closed. Brandt had now resorted to gently slapping his face in a desperate attempt to wake him up. "Benji, wake up! Don't you leave me, do you hear me?" he reached his hand down to his neck. He felt Benji's pulse getting weaker by the second. He turned to Jane, tears in his eyes.

That's when she completely broke down.

_o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o  
><em>  
>Ethan heard Brandt's distraught cries shortly followed by Jane's sobs. He had had enough. Bending down, he grabbed Michael by the scruff of his neck and pushed the gun up into his cheek.<p>

"He better not be dead, Michael."

"And so what if he is?" came the sarcastic reply.

"Why? Why did you do this?" Ethan began to feel tears well up. Why did people always go after the ones he cared about?

"Like you don't know."

"I don't." Ethan's voice was now emotionless. "Why don't you tell me? Because I don't understand what I could possibly have done to make you kidnap, torture and possibly kill one of my fellow agents."

"Berlin." Michael locked eye contact with Ethan and began to explain. "You just left me to die!"

"What?"

"I was on the brink of death and you left me."

"I didn't leave you. We were running from the guards and there was the explosion. When I woke up at the hospital, I looked for you but they told me you were dead."

For a brief moment, Ethan swore he saw a glimpse of something in Michael's eyes; he wasn't sure what it was, but before he could figure it out, it had disappeared.

"Then you should have looked harder!" with that, Michael made a grab for the gun.

_**BANG!**_

___o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o  
><em>  
><em>Uh oh… Have we lost Benji? Have we lost Ethan? Have we lost both?<br>Find out next chapter ;)  
>Much love x<em>


	10. Chapter 10

_Wow, guys! Thank you so so so much for your amazing reviews! I love you all so much!  
>Hope the next instalment is up to your standards :)<em>

_o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o  
><em>  
>Ethan heard Michael yell those words and felt his hands move for the weapon. He tried to move but he wasn't quick enough. The pain was excruciating as the bullet ripped through his leg, but he couldn't let Michael win this. This man might have killed Benji; he was not going to get away with that.<p>

Outside, Brandt was beginning to lift Benji's motionless body into his arms when he and Jane heard the gunshot. He motioned with his head towards the warehouse. "Go." With a nod and one last glance at Benji, she turned and made her way back inside.

Ethan and Michael were rolling on the floor in a frenzy, each one not wanting the other to get a full grasp on the gun. Suddenly, Michael kicked out and his foot caught the gunshot wound on Ethan's leg, causing him to loosen his grip on the weapon. Michael quickly got to his feet and, despite the blood pouring from the two bullet holes in his shoulders, pointed the gun at Ethan's head.

"Say hello to Agent Dunn for me." He prepared to pull the trigger, however, another gunshot sounded before he could. As Michael fell to the floor in a heap, blood trickling down his forehead, Ethan saw Jane a few feet away. He nodded as thanks to her before scrambling to his feet and the pair made their way back to the van. Jane climbed into the driver's seat and turned the engine over while Ethan ran to the back and jumped in, relieved to get the weight off his leg. Once he was in and the van had started, he turned to see Brandt kneeling with tears in his eyes. He was pressing his jacket into the wound on Benji's chest.

_Benji…_

It was the first time Ethan had seen Benji since the video; he was struggling to take in his friend's appearance. Brandt looked across at him and motioned to Benji's injured leg. Shaking himself, Ethan ripped off his own jacket and proceeded to press it into the wound. He looked back to Brandt; he had never seen the man like this before. They all cared about Benji, but Brandt had become like a brother to the young agent. The pair were best friends and Ethan could tell, just from looking at Brandt, that the concept of losing Benji was terrifying him. Ethan was just as worried. Benji had been his friend for quite a few years now and he did not want to be the reason for his death.

While pressing down on the wound with one hand, he reached up and grabbed Benji's limp hand.

"How's he doing?" Ethan looked back to Brandt, who placed his fingers to Benji's neck again.

"Pulse is still weak. If we don't get to the hospital soon…" he looked back at Ethan, whose eyes were full of sorrow, yet the older agent still managed to force a reassuring smile. No one else was dying. Not today.

_o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o  
><em>  
>Brandt had watched Jane run back into the building and once she was out of sight, he walked back to the van, making sure that he didn't fall. When he reached the back of the vehicle, he fumbled to open the door, not wanting to drop Benji as he did. The doors soon clicked and he was able to pull them away. Once they were open, he gently placed Benji into the back of the van, keeping hold of his head until he had also climbed in and once he was kneeling inside, he placed his friend's head in his lap. He looked down at the knife that was still sticking out of Benji's shoulder; the blood was dark against the grey of the t-shirt he wore. He knew he couldn't remove the blade, because that would only increase the bleeding, but he had to do something. Removing his jacket, he gently pressed it up against the wound, being careful not to touch the knife. He didn't want to move it and cause even more damage. He was breathing heavily, however the sound was lost in that of the rain pounding heavily against the metal of the van.<p>

Where were Ethan and Jane? They needed to hurry so that they could get Benji to the hospital.

As if on cue, Brandt saw the door burst open and his teammates came running out. He shifted in his spot, willing them to run faster. When the driver's door was ripped open and Jane jumped in, he held his breath until the engine was on. Glancing to his left, he saw Ethan had got into the back with him and was sporting a nasty wound to his leg, however he knew it wasn't life threatening. Brandt nodded towards Benji's leg and Ethan immediately knew what to do. Moments later, the other agent spoke up.

"How's he doing?" Brandt closed his eyes and nervously felt for a pulse. He was slightly relieved when he felt a small beating on his fingers, but it was only minute.

Taking in a deep breath, he replied. "Pulse is still weak. If we don't get to the hospital soon…" Brandt trailed off, unable to complete his sentence. Ethan was looking at him, trying to reassure him that they would get there in time.

Brandt wanted to believe him, but his mind was telling him that their hope was in vain.

It took a lot longer than Brandt would have liked to reach the hospital; they weren't sure where the nearest one was and the only person in the group who knew London was lying unconscious. When they finally arrived, Brandt scooped Benji back into his arms and the trio ran inside.

"We need some help here!" Ethan yelled as they burst through the doors.

The following moments were a blur for Brandt. He wasn't sure how Benji ended up on the stretcher being wheeled off by doctors, or how he ended up in the family room with a cup of tea. Jane sat down next to him while Ethan was off giving details to the doctors. Brandt wondered if the police were there too. How on earth were they going to explain this? He felt Jane's arm rest around his shoulders.

"Hey." She said softly, pulling his attention away from the liquid in his cup. He turned and saw her eyes, wet with tears yet showing signs of hope. "He's in the best place now. You did great, Brandt, but you can't help him anymore. The doctors can. And they're gonna try their damn hardest to save him, ok?"

Brandt could just about manage a nod as he watched a single tear fall into his tea.

_o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o_


	11. Chapter 11

_Well, here's the final proper chapter. Just an epilogue to come after this. Hope it is good enough for all you wonderful readers :)_

_o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o  
><em>  
>It seemed like hours waiting for news on Benji. It probably had been hours, but Brandt wasn't watching the clock; his eyes were glued to the door, waiting for a doctor to come in with something to tell them. Jane had fallen asleep next to him and Ethan was pacing across the room, having had his leg seen to. Fortunately, the bullet hadn't hit any arteries – Brandt had begun to think Ethan Hunt was made of stone.<p>

Brandt was staring down at the cloth in his hands which he had used to wipe off the blood.

Benji's blood.

He knew he should get some sleep, but every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was the moment he had opened that boot. The image of Benji lying there, barely alive, was too strong to fight away. He needed to know that Benji was going to be ok before he would even think about sleep.

Three bad cups of hospital tea later, the door opened and an older lady walked in. Ethan recognised her as the doctor he'd spoken to earlier and quickly approached her.

"Doctor? How is he?" as he spoke, Jane began to stir and when she realised what was happening, immediately sat upright.

The doctor gave a smile. "Surgery went well. Benjamin is a very lucky young man, and it seems he has you three to thank for it. If you hadn't brought him here when you did, I don't think he would have pulled through."

_Pulled through._

Those words made the trio feel so much relief.

"Can we see him?" Jane's voice sounded as she stood up.

"Of course. He's not conscious as yet, and may not be for some time, but you can sit with him while he sleeps. Follow me." The doctor smiled once more before leading them out into the corridor and down to Benji's room. When they entered, the doctor gently tapped Ethan on the shoulder. "Mr Hunt, I'll get someone to bring an extra chair down for you. Don't want you standing on that leg too much, ok?"

"Thanks, doctor." He smiled as she exited the room and the group turned to Benji. Despite his wounds still being there, he looked a lot better for being cleaned up. However, now that the blood, dirt and grime had been washed away, they were able to see the full extent of the damage. His lip had the split in it and his cheek was now covered with a patch of white bandage. A medium sized bruise had now appeared around his right eye, no one knew when he acquired it however it no longer mattered. His shirt had been removed and they could therefore see the bandage that covered his left shoulder, hiding one of his stab wounds, the other was hidden beneath the sheet that pooled at his waist. His chest also had some bruises covering it, which the team assumed had been part of his torture. The three were brought out of their collective trance when the door opened again and a young doctor brought in the extra chair. With a 'thank you' nod, Ethan took the chair and placed it on the far side of Benji's bed. Brandt and Jane took the seats on the opposite side. Shortly after sitting down, both Jane and Ethan fell asleep, leaving Brandt alone to watch over Benji. It took him a while, but he too slid down in his chair and allowed himself to slip into the world of slumber, able to do so, now, without images of Benji's broken body filling his mind.

_o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o  
><em>  
>When Brandt began to wake, he could hear something; it sounded like a TV playing. He opened his eyes and noticed Jane and Ethan were no longer there. Groaning as he sat back up in the chair, he wiped away the sleep from his eyes and once it had gone, he couldn't stop the smile growing on his face.<p>

"Have you ever actually watched daytime TV?" the voice was groggy but still full of that upbeat life that was just so… Benji. "It's crap!" Brandt looked over and saw Benji turn to him, the blue eyes that had been so dull and full of pain last time he saw them were now back to the way they always were; bright and happy. "Nice of you to join me." Benji continued when Brandt remained silent. "I was worried I'd have to call the doctor for _you_!"

"How are you doing?" Brandt finally managed to find his voice again. Benji shrugged.

"Surviving." He smiled, flicking off the TV and sitting up further. "And I hear I have you to thank for it."

Brandt opened his mouth to speak but wasn't really sure what to say. "Well, if it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't have been able to."

"How so?" Benji's brow furrowed and he tilted his head to the side slightly.

"Well, if you hadn't shown me how to use that program, we wouldn't have been able to find you." Benji gave a small laugh. "What?"

"So… Essentially, I saved my own arse?" he asked, before the pair began to laugh. Once they had managed to calm themselves down again, Benji looked back across at his friend and gave a soft smile. "But thank you. Really. I honestly don't know what would have happened if you hadn't…"

"Hey, it's ok, buddy, really." Brandt tapped him on the arm and smiled back. "That's what we do, isn't it? We look out for each other."

"Yeah."

_o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o  
><em> 


	12. Chapter 12

_So here it is – the epilogue. Thanks to all of you who followed this story and didn't give up on it :) your reviews have meant the world to me and have been what kept me going!  
>Hope that you approve of the way I've closed it off. I kinda get the feeling this chapter could be read as some sort of BenjiBrandt pre-slash. It's not intended that way, but once again, if you want to interpret it that way then be my guest.  
>Enjoy!<em>

_o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o  
><em>  
><em><strong>2 months later<strong>_

The team were wrapping up a mission in Venice; once again it had been a success. Benji had popped up to his hotel room for a moment while Jane, Brandt and Ethan were down in the bar waiting to share a drink with the others.

Brandt checked his watch and noticed that Benji had been gone a bit longer than he'd initially thought and, not wanting to worry Jane and Ethan, he waited until they weren't looking before slipping away and heading upstairs. Ever since Benji's kidnapping, Brandt had been keeping an extra close eye on him. He was 'the helper' after all. When he reached Benji's room, he noticed that the door was ajar & started to panic a little. It wasn't like Benji to do that.

He slowly pushed the door open, looking around at the empty room.

"Benji?" he noticed Benji's jacket strewn on the back of the sofa as he made his way towards the bedroom. As he turned the corner, he saw that the chest of drawers had been pulled out and few things had been knocked onto the floor. This got his heart racing even more. "Benji…" this time he whispered, worried that someone else was there. Stepping back out of the bedroom, he made his way down the corridor to the bathroom, hearing some noise coming from inside. It sounded like someone was struggling.

_Shit… _Brandt pulled out his gun, now completely fretting that someone was there and that Benji was in danger. As he reached the door, through the gap, he saw a pair of legs lying on the floor. With a deep breath and on the mental count of three, he kicked the door open and pointed his gun in front of him.

"What the f- OW!" came a voice from underneath the bathroom cabinet. The legs began to move as the person slid out and after a few seconds, Benji sat up, rubbing the back of his head. "Brandt? What the hell?" he looked up at the gun his friend was now pointing at him. Brandt quickly realised what he was doing and put the gun back in his holster.

"Sorry, Benji, it's just…" he rubbed his hands over his face. "I came up to see where you were and the door was open… The cabinet in the bedroom was messed up and I couldn't find you so when I saw someone lying on the floor in here, I dunno, I panicked…"

Benji slowly got to his feet and shook his head with a laugh before heading to the kitchen. As he walked he wrapped a plaster around one of his fingers. "Ah, sorry Brandt. I just came back up here for my phone and I thought I was only gonna be, like, five seconds so I left the door open. I was checking to see if it had fallen behind the cabinet but I caught my finger on something so _then_ I went to the bathroom to get a plaster but I dropped the damn thing and it fell down the back of the sink, and well, you know the rest…" he grabbed some ice from the freezer and held it up to the back of his head, noticing the expression on Brandt's face. "Are you alright?"

"Hm? Oh yeah, fine."

"Look I'm sorry I gave you a scare." Benji began. "I know you wanna look out for me after… But you have to understand that you don't have to always be there. I can't expect you to drop everything when I get a splinter."

"Who said I'd do that?"

"You don't need to." Benji smiled, giving Brandt that 'it's written all over your face' look.

"Sorry, Benji. It's just…" Brandt sat down on the sofa. "We came so close to losing you. You're one of my best mates, I don't wanna see it happen again."

"If I promise to create an internal tracking device for myself, will you stop stressing?"

"Maybe." Brandt said, feeling something underneath him. Reaching down, he pulled out something. "Uh, Benji?"

"Yep?" Benji looked up to see Brandt holding up his phone. "What?"

For the first time in a while, Brandt began to laugh.

And Benji joined in.

_o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o_

_Well, there you have it. Hope it was ok!  
>Much love x<em>


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